


Happy New Year!!

by Kireeeshima



Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL, Cheesy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, new years fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 23:19:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17253266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kireeeshima/pseuds/Kireeeshima
Summary: Self-loathing Ace wonders if it was really ok to be born. He thinks about that a lot.





	Happy New Year!!

**Author's Note:**

> I know New Years has already passed for most of the world but its a bit more than 10 minutes till New Years here so I count this safe. Barely. I actually completely forgot Ace's birthday was on New Years until like 2h ago and quickly typed this up. Also, forgive me if the writing is a bit choppy. Aside from the fact this was rushed, I've been writing in second POV for 3 days nonstop for another project so I had to keep reminding myself that it's in third POV here.

Laughter and cheers sounded in the far background. Everyone was partying and celebrating in a fitting way for pirates, an amazingly large banquet full of the countless members of the Whitebeards. There was dancing, booze, music, fireworks in preparation, everyone was in full celebration mode for the nearing New Year. Except Ace. The Whitebeards were currently docked at a claimed island of theirs and partying on the beach. Ace however, was in the shallow water as far away from sight as possible... He could hear everyone in the distance, but he didn’t bother to go there. He stared down at the water that blurrily reflected his image, which for a reason he didn’t know, only further dampened his mood. ~~That’s a lie, he knew why it did. It was because it should himself. Him. The thing that should have never existed in the first place.~~ Ace grips the bottle in his hands and pops the cork off, but instead of drinking it, he tilts the bottle upside down and watches as its contents spill out into the ocean below him. Then he smiles. 

It wasn’t a happy smile. It was forced, tight. 

Ace waits until the bottle is emptied to the last drop before speaking, the same forced smile on his face. “Happy New Year, Sabo. Well, a few minutes early but still. I hope things are treating you good on the other side. Oh yeah, I’m still with the Whitebeards. I really love it there, they…” ~~_give me the illusion that it’s ok for me to have been born. That it’s ok for me to be happy._~~ Ace doesn’t say the last part. A strong wind hits him with so much force that he has to shut his eyes. But he laughs. 

“I bet if you were here you’d tell me to stop being such a downer huh? Sorry sorry, you know I always get like this since New Year’s is also my… birthday.”

 _‘If everyone knew this was the day you were born, it would no longer be a day of celebration but instead a day of anger and hate. After all, it’s a day that someone like you was brought into this world. The spawn of the devil. You even killed your own mother. Everyone says it, they all agree on the fact you should have never been born. You’ve heard it countless times from them all, so why are you doing this stupid search for an answer? You want to know if it was ok for you to have been born? You already know the answer._ The voice mocks Ace. It always does, but it gets stronger around this time. He clutches at the bottle so tightly he hears a crack. It’s that disgusting feeling again. Like someone is choking him and squeezing at his heart all at once. Blood pumps through his ears and Ace considers just curling up where he’s standing now in hopes of blocking it all out. 

He knows that he couldn’t, though. 

Through his thundering heart, the voice in his head, and the blood in his ears, Ace hears footsteps grow closer behind him. “Perhaps a devil fruit eater with narcolepsy shouldn’t stand in the water alone, even if its shallow yoi.” Ace automatically relaxes at the sound of Marco’s voice- but then a wave of disgust hits him right after. Why? Because he likes him. Yes. He likes Marco, his friend. His crewmate. His _brother. Family_ How long, Ace doesn’t know. Just one day he realized that he liked him and couldn’t stop it. He knew he had no possible chance for his feelings to be returned, but Ace was ok with that. Because he deserved that. He’s already pushing his privilege by being in such a wonderful crew as the Whitebeards. He can’t ask for more. He doesn’t deserve more, he doesn’t even deserve _them_. Despite his inner turmoil, Ace turns around with a wide grin. 

“Oh, Marco! What’s up? Why come to such a secluded area when everyone is celebrating?” He asks, walking out of the water. 

“That’s my question, yoi. Why stand in the water alone when you could pass out any moment? It would be a shame if we lost our 2nd commander from drowning to death.” Marco jokes with a smirk that would’ve normally make Ace’s stomach do flips and flops- if it weren’t for the voice that said, _‘Ah, but you’ve tried that once before, didn’t you? What a shame your brothers got in the way, everyone would have been so much happier if you succeeded.’_ Ace wants to claw at his head until the voice shuts up. He wants it to leave him alone, at least until he’s alone again. He deserves that voice but he doesn’t want others to be bothered by him. So he forces that smile to stay. 

“I was just telling my brother Happy New Year. I was about to head back.” He wasn’t. “Also, like hell I would die from something so stupid, jerk.” Ace gives Marco a jab to the shoulder, but only gets a chuckle in reply. 

“Anyways, I’m glad I managed to find you, yoi. I had something to tell you. Well, two things to tell you, actually.” Right as Marco finished saying that, a countdown starts in the far background. 

_5!_

“Huh?” 

_4!_

“Oh, perfect timing, yoi.” 

_3!_

“For what?” 

_2!_

“Well, for the first thing I have to tell you of course.” Marco raises his hand and gently places it on Ace’s head, ruffling it with a smile. 

_1!!_

“Happy birthday, Ace.” Ace freezes, triple checking if he heard Marco correctly. Fireworks start to go off, lighting up the dark sky and causing loud explosions. 

“How did- what?” He splutters, face turning red when he realizes _Marco’s_ hand is still on his head. 

“How did I know? You let it slip once while you were drunk with Thatch. And now for the second thing,” His hand moves away and Ace nearly goes _after_ it, already missing the touch. A few more fireworks go off, and Marco still hasn’t continued. Ace cocks his head to the side when even more time passes and opens his mouth to ask what is it, but Marco speaks first. 

“I like you, yoi.” 

Not even the loud fireworks that go off afterwards don’t seem to beat the thundering of his heart in terms of sound. Ace freezes again and stares at Marco, waiting for a “just kidding” or signs of lies. It’s dark, but Ace could’ve sworn he could see some red on Marco’s ears. Not that he can say anything, his entire face down to his shoulders was probably more than red. Hell, his entire his body is on fire. After no signs of Marco joking or lying, Ace manages to get his voice to work. Well, somewhat. 

“I- What? Me?” Marco sighs and puts his hand on his hip, eyes still lidded and face blank. It may seem like he’s perfectly calm to most, but Ace can tell that that isn’t the case, as Marco is looking everywhere else but Ace. 

“I’m not asking for anything to change, I just wanted to let you know yoi.” 

“Wait- you’re not joking? You’re serious? But- you know… whose blood runs through me.” Ace lowers his voice at the last part.

“Yes, and why does that matter? He has nothing to do with who you are, you aren’t him. I like _you_ not him.” Marco’s calm mask breaks when tears suddenly start falling from Ace’s eyes. He curses and raises arms that don’t know what to do, watching Ace frantically wipe his face. 

“Sorry- I just- _I’m so happy._ Fuck, they won’t stop falling. Sorry. I like you too. For awhile now. I just thought I didn’t deserve- sorry I’m rambling-” Ace was cut off by being pulled into a tight hug. It took him awhile to realize the one hugging him was Marco. Fingers ran through his hair and words of _it’s ok_ and _you can be happy_ drowned out the voice in the back of his head. Ace finally broke, squeezing Marco back with just as much force. They missed the remainder of the celebration, but neither could find it in themselves to really mind that.

~x~

“Oi, shit cook is gonna kill you if he catches you wasting all that sake you stole.” Zoro grunted as his one eye watched Luffy pour two bottles of sake down over the rails. There was a third unopened bottle next to him, along with a stack of red sake cups. 

“But I’m not wasting them! They’re both for different people! They’re just not here to drink it!” He insisted, then popped the third bottle open and poured the sake into the cups. When the last cup was full, he turned to Zoro. “Want a cup?” he asked, to which Zoro agreed with a grin. Luffy grabbed a fourth cup and filled it for him, grabbing his own cup before sitting down beside Zoro with a grin. 

“To a New Year?” Zoro raised his cup over to Luffy who clacked his cup against it, grin wide and cheery.

 

“Yeah, to a New Year!!”

**Author's Note:**

> The Marco/Ace part happens before the whole Thatch murder thing. The Luffy & Zoro part happens pre-Dressrosa so to Luffy, both of his brothers are dead.


End file.
